The Belgian cherry season has finally begun. Although volumes are still limited, the first early varieties are beginning to find their way to market. "We started about a week ago. Supply-wise, there aren't many best sellers yet, but there's huge demand," begins Diether Everaerts of the Belgian Fruit Auction (BFV).
"There are almost no Burlat. The volumes of Bellise, which we market under the Juno name, are somewhat disappointing too. But the Samba variety has also started and are selling extremely well. However, because their volumes are still fairly limited, too, current prices are high. They're around €4.50 for the 24+ sizes, €6.25 for the 26+, €8.20 for the 28+, and more than €10 for the 30+ calibers. That's very high, but, so far, that's not hampering demand."
That proves Belgian cherries were eagerly awaited, and especially now that other varieties are slowly getting going, the season is truly getting underway. This is always a special time of year for cherry lovers, despite them having to wait slightly longer this year. "Initially, after the cold in April and early May, we thought we'd start about ten days later. It seems we made up some time and began only five days late. The Sambas will be perfectly colored by the end of this week, and the first Koridas will be picked early next week," says Diether.
He considers the Kordia as the queen among cherries. "This year, though, production varies greatly between plots. On average, unfortunately, these volumes are at about 60% of last year. so there definitely won't be an oversupply in the first few weeks. Also, the Spanish cherries are coming to an end and France is as good as empty. France isn't allowed to import cherries from outside Europe either."
That means the Belgian product is in very high demand despite the limited supply. "The prices are shocking, but I can't name a single country with no demand. England, France, and even Spain are already asking for the cherries. There's some competition from, for example, Greece, but we specialize in dark, crunchy cherries. That distinguishes us from the paler Greek cherries," Diether explains.
"Prices should fall slightly in about two weeks. There will be plenty of Regina, which has great production. The sizes are still a little smaller, but that could still recover. Those volumes are almost 90% compared to a 'normal' year. We usually end the season with the Sweetheart. We expect these by late July, but its production is a bit disappointing," says Everaerts.
The late start and relatively limited volumes will result in quite a short season. Yet Diether is very optimistic. "From now until about August 7, so we'll have about five weeks of cherries, though the sky-high demand makes this tough to control. We, thus, hope supplies will be slightly more consistent when the Kordias arrive."
"Nonetheless, it's still one of the best seasons in the last decade. The cherries have excellent quality, and production is generally at 70 to 80% that of a 'typical' year. Add the incredibly high demand, and things are looking fantastic. That's a plus for growers and traders. It's a big difference from the dramatic season of two years ago. The opposite is nice for a change," Diether concludes.
For more information:
Diether Everaerts
Belgische Fruitveiling (BFV)
82 Montenakenweg
3800, Sint-Truiden, BE
Tel.: +32 (0) 116 93 411
Email: info@bfv.be
Website: www.bfv.be